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Raleigh man kept $216,640 Cash 5 ticket in wallet for two weeks

RALEIGH – For two weeks, Andre Bost of Raleigh walked around not knowing he had a Carolina Cash 5 ticket worth $216,640 in his wallet.

Bost, a machine operator for a local pharmaceutical company, matched all five numbers in the Oct. 15 drawing. He learned of his win after work on Tuesday when he stopped in a local convenience store to check his tickets.

“The clerk said I had to claim at the lottery office,” said Bost, who beat odds of 1 in 575,757 to win the jackpot. “I had it with me the whole time and had no idea. It was so overwhelming. It was an unbelievable night. This whole thing just seems unreal.”

Bost plans to use his winnings, worth $147,315 after state and federal taxes were withheld, to purchase a car for his wife, remodel his kitchen and save for his grandchildren. He purchased his lucky ticket at the C Mini Mart on Poole Road in Raleigh. He arrived to claim his prize in Raleigh with his wife on Thursday morning.

“My wife has been with me for 27 years,” Bost said. “I’m really going to get a lot of joy out of watching her enjoy this money. She truly deserves it.”

As he collected his winnings, Bost spoke about the importance of the lottery to education in the state and the importance of playing responsibly.

“Knowledge is power,” Bost said. “I play the lottery because it helps the kids get an education. But I only play a little at a time. We always make sure we’ve taken care of everything before we buy any tickets.”

As of Sept. 2013, the lottery has raised more than $3 billion to support education programs. Lottery dollars support teachers’ salaries in grades K-3, school construction and repair projects, prekindergarten programs for at-risk four-year-olds, college scholarships and financial aid based on need and digital learning initiatives.

To see how more than $189.4 million in lottery dollars have made a difference in Wake County, go to the Where the Money Goes webpage at http://www.nc-educationlottery.org/beneficiary.aspx.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the winning numbers posted on this website
are accurate; however, no valid claim may be based on information contained herein.
In the event of a discrepancy between the numbers posted on this website and the
official winning numbers, the official winning numbers as certified by the Multi-State
Lottery Association (for Powerball) and/or the NCEL shall control.